Dinosaurs in Space by Pranas T. Naujokaitis

Everyone thinks that dinosaurs became extinct...but they didn't. When the Big Bang happened, they just went into space and became dinosaurs in space! Some landed on Planet Lettuce, while others landed on Planet Meatball. While in outer space they have to deal with scary aliens and dangerous black holes, but if anyone's up for the challenge, it would be dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs and space: a perfect combination. They're both things that interest many kids, so putting them together in a book that's aimed at supporting young readers makes so much sense. The stories have really positive messages (don't judge things before you try them, accept people's differences and find your similarities, look before you leap) that adults (and probably some kids) will easily recognize, but they don't come across as too preachy. The darkness of space provides a great backdrop for the colourful dinosaurs, and the mixture of text in speech balloons and text boxes will encourage readers to play with words and explore where words are on the page. This book has "high interest" written all over it; libraries should definitely consider it for their graphic novels/early reader collections.

Check out the Tumblr of Pranas T. Naujokaitis.

I received a review copy from Edelweiss courtesy of Balloon Toons/Blue Apple Books.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Hiccup! by Mike Herrod
Dinosaurs?! by Lila Prap
Dinosaur Vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea
A Day in the Office of Doctor Bugspit by Elise Gravel
Prickles vs. the Dust Bunny by Daniel Cleary

Hiccup! by Mike Herrod

Jamie is already nervous for the big school play, but when he gets the hiccups, it's so much worse! The last time he had the hiccups it lasted all day. This could ruin the play! Can Jamie and his friend Jenna find a way to stop the hiccups before it's too late?

There's something naturally funny about hiccups. They're involuntary, make a funny sound, and usually aren't serious enough to cause a lot of physical pain. It's not a surprise when Jamie starts suffering from hiccups; the cover of the book makes it very clear that that's going to happen, so you can anticipate the big moment. Going from person to person collecting ridiculous suggestions for getting rid of the hiccups provides a lot of humour, including physical humour. As a Balloon Toons title, the story is told in a graphic novel format. The number of panels on each page varies, which keeps the appearance of the story interesting and unpredictable. The pages are colourfully vibrant and the text (shown in speech balloons) is easily readable. It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the Balloon Toons series of books, and with great titles like this I can't wait to see more.

Check out Mike Herrod's website for more of his work.

I received a review copy from Edelweiss courtesy of Balloon Toons/Blue Apple Books.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler
I Can't Stop Hiccuping! by Lauren Child
A Day in the Office of Doctor Bugspit by Elise Gravel
Prickles vs. the Dust Bunny by Daniel Cleary
Doggie Dreams by Mike Herrod

The No-Dogs-Allowed Rule by Kashmira Sheth illustrated by Carl Pearce

Ishan wants a dog. He really, really wants a dog. But his mom has a rule: no dogs allowed. So Ishan comes up with a plan. If he's very, very helpful around the house, maybe his mom will see that he's responsible enough for a dog! But whatever he does, nothing seems to go exactly the way he planned. Will his mom ever see how much he wants a dog?

This story is sure to resonate with kids who really, really want something that their parents won't let them get (like a dog). A lot of kids want dogs. I never really wanted a dog (and the only pets I ever had growing up were pets), so I didn't relate personally to that, but I can still identify with wanting something really badly and being told no. Anyway - all that aside, I think that young readers will find lots to like in this book. Ishan is a sympathetic character; he doesn't invite trouble, it just sort of finds him. The action in this story (dealing with a sibling and your parents, neighbourhood bullies, inadvertently creating disasters, the unfairness of being young) is relatable across cultures. Don't be surprised if we see more stories about Ishan and his family in the future.


Check out Kashmira Sheth's website as well as Carl Pearce's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Albert Whitman & Co.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Ten Kids, No Pets by Ann M. Martin
Boys Without Names by Kashmira Sheth
I Don't Want a Posh Dog by Emily Dodd
The Boxcar Children Beginnings by Patricia McLaughlan

Go-for-Gold Gymnasts: Unexpected Twist by Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson

Christina Flores is going to be an Olympic gymnastics champion someday. That's her goal and that's her mom's goal; every day each work toward it in their own ways. Christina practices her routines while her Mom watches them and points out areas that Christina should work on. There's a big competition coming up, and it could be one to put Christina and the other Texas Twisters on the radar for the next Olympic Team. Christina starts working extra hard...and ignores the pain that she feels in her foot. At this crucial point in her career, is her body going to let her down? And is she going to let down her mother?

I was anticipating the 'Do I want to stay in gymnastics?' plot in Jessie's book, but it also gets visited from a slightly different angle in Unexpected Twist. Since the first book in the series, Christina's been shown to be a little tightly wound - focused on gymnastics but almost to the exclusion of everything else. She, like Noelle, feels the pressure of a family who has committed themselves to her gymnastics, although where for Noelle's family it's more the sacrifice of money, for Christina's mom it's the sacrifice of a life outside of her daughter.  Even through to the book's resolution I was never quite sure why her mom has built her life this way: is she living through her daughter? Did she have a lack of support growing up? Is she doing it to fill in all the lonely space in her life due to her absent husband? But I guess it's not really a book about Christina's mom - it's a book about Christina and what happens to her when she starts to question how clear her vision of being an Olympic champion is. The book explores the area between how one person sees something and how different it is from how someone else sees the same thing; Christina and her mom have a big fight on Christmas because her mom thinks she's ungrateful while Christina just wants to show her frustration. She learns about controlling the things that are within her control and dealing with the things she can't. Christina hasn't always been sympathetic when seen through the eyes of the other gymnasts, so this glimpse into her life really rounds out the series. This is the fourth of four scheduled books, but there are some story strands started her that could easily carry the series through more books in the future.


Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Go for the Gold by Elizabeth Levy
Off Balance: A Memoir by Dominique Moceanu
The Go-for-Gold Gymnasts: Winning Team by Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson
The Go-for-Gold Gymnasts:Balancing Act by Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 

Deep-Sea Duel by John Sazaklis and Art Baltazar

The Aquafamily is ready for an awesome under-sea family reunion - but the evil Ocean Master is determined to spoil the day. It's up to Aqualad and the Superpets to save everyone. It's going to be tough, but if they work together they just might be able to stop Ocean Master in his tracks.

Young fans of superheroes have a fun book to explore in Deep-Sea Duel. I don't know very much about Aquaman or the Aquafamily, but you don't need to have a lot of background knowledge to enjoy this book. Characters are explained at the beginning and end (names as well as where they fit into the Superhero/Superpet world). Illustrations are integrated well with the text, and the amount of white-space around the large words make this a solid choice for independent readers. I can see this being a hit with both young readers who like action and young readers who like animals; if you know a reader who likes both things, try to get this book into their hands.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Capstone Young Readers.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
The Cat Crime Club by Steve Korte
Midway Monkey Madness by Sarah Hines Stephens
The Fantastic Flexy Frog by Michael Dahl
The Fastest Pet on Earth by J.E. Bright

Go-for-Gold Gymnasts: Reaching High by Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson

Jessie can stay calm when it comes to performing routines in the Texas Twisters gym, but she's nervous about starting high school. It hasn't been long since she started taking gymnastic lessons again after spending some time dealing with an eating disorder. Her other friends from the team aren't in high school yet, so Jessie is nervous that she's going to be all alone. After a few tense run-ins with one particularly mean girl, Jessie decides to befriend her by agreeing to be part of the cheerleading team. Her coach and friends don't think this is a good idea, but Jessie doesn't understand why they aren't being more supportive. She just wants to have a life of her own - is that such a bad thing?

(Spoilers below!)

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, the third in the four-book "Go-for-Gold Gymnasts" series. I was expecting there to be a book where one of the gymnasts questioned her commitment to being an Elite-level gymnast, and after Jessie was revealed to have an eating disorder in the first book, it made sense that as she re-evaluated her life she would also re-evaluate how she felt about being a competitive gymnast. The surprise part came from the ending, where she decided to re-commit herself to gymnastics; that wasn't what I was expecting but, in the course of the story, it was a plot point that felt earned. Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson are able to craft a story that pulls back the curtain on gymnastics and shows how hard and lonely it can be while still illustrating why someone would be willing - would want - to be a part of it. Jessie makes decisions that make me want to sit her down and have a good talk with her, but she shows that even when she is making bad choices she has a good heart and a good head. I'm really looking forward to spending some time with Christina, the one remaining narrator, in the fourth book of the series.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Go for the Gold by Elizabeth Levy
Off Balance: A Memoir by Dominique Moceanu
The Go-for-Gold Gymnasts: Winning Team by Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson
The Go-for-Gold Gymnasts:Balancing Act by Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson

The Incredible Rockhead: Rock Paper Scissorlegz by Scott Nickel and C.S. Jennings

Chip Stone was having an ordinary day until a strange nurse injects him with a secret substance. Whenever he's in danger, his head turns into a giant rock. Before long he's warding off dangerous enemies like Dozer and Papercut and trying to figure out how to take down the evil General. It's a good thing that he has friends like his sidekick-slash-best friend Spencer along for backup!

This The Incredible Rockhead: Rock, Paper, Scissorlegz collection brings together four previously released Incredible Rockhead books into one massive mega-volume. I like the idea of having it as a collection, though, because it keeps the story flowing so that someone can sit down and read the whole adventure from beginning to end (I am an impatient reader, and I suspect that some young kids are, too), and at around 130-ish pages, the collected story isn't that long. I also liked the comic-book touches of advertisements for various products interspersed within the action. The art is colourful, the story is action-based, and the writing is funny. If you've ever dreamed of what Rock, Paper, Scissors would be like in a real-life supervillian-fuled version, this is definitely the book for you.


Find it at IndieBound.

I received a copy from NetGalley courtesy of Capstone Young Readers.

Read it with:
Teen Boat by Dave Roman and John Green
Zinc Alloy by Donald Lemke and Douglas Holgate
The Incredible Rockhead by Scott Nickel

Daisy's Perfect Word by Sandra V. Feder illustrated by Susan Mitchell

Daisy loves words. She loves the way they sound and the way that her mouth moves as she says them. She loves saying them and reading them and hearing them. Daisy likes other things, too, like her friends, her family, and her teacher, Miss Goldner. Miss Goldner has just announced that she is getting married and moving away. Daisy is happy for her (engaged is a wonderful-sounding word) but also sad that she won't be able to see Miss Goldner around school anymore. Daisy knows what the perfect present for her teacher would be: the perfect word. Now all she has to do is find it!

Talking about words is almost like a sneaky way of talking about reading where you're not necessarily talking about reading at all; even kids who aren't strong readers can have favourite words, and talking about words and playing with words is a great way to make literacy fun. There was a nice building of suspense as Daisy was trying to find the perfect word for her teacher. What would it be? How could any word be perfect? Daisy is a great character; she loves words and thinks about them a lot, but she's also does regular kid stuff like eating chocolate treats and getting excited over a sleepover. I think Daisy's love of books, reading, and words will resonate with kids who also love books and reading, and they will be rewarded with rich words and clever passages. (I particularly liked the description of Daisy's neighbour Samantha as a girl who liked the words 'stop' and 'mine.') A quick look at Sandra V. Feder's website confirms that more Daisy books are on the way; look for the next one in Spring 2013.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Kids Can Press.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Fancy Nancy: Splendid Speller by Jane O'Connor
13 Words by Lemony Snicket
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
Kylie Jean, Spelling Queen by Marci Peschke

Toppling by Sally Murphy with illustrations by Rhian Nest James

John loves dominoes. He can spend hours lining them up, making a pattern, and then sending them toppling. It's so satisfying when everything goes exactly the way that it's supposed to. Sometimes John's best friend Dom sets up the dominoes with him; John really likes spending time with Dom and they get along really well. Then Dom gets sick and stop coming to school. What can John do to help make things feel right again?

Like many kids, I suspect, I'm not entirely sure how to actually play dominoes, but I've definitely spent some time setting them up and knocking them over. I know that there must be books out there that explore what it means when your friend gets sick, but I think that well-crafted books for this young elementary school audience will always be welcome. John's world doesn't exactly fall apart, but it shifts and slips; he still goes to school, he still eats dinner with his family, he still hangs around with friends, but it's not the same because his best friend isn't there. The book also touches on how helpless people feel when something like another person's health is out of their hands; it also brings in the different ways that people react to serious news. The verse-novel style blends well with the illustrations, giving readers a glimpse both into and at John's world.

Check out Sally Murphy's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Candlewick Press.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls
Jessi's Wish by Ann M. Martin
Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
Pearl Verses the World by Sally Murphy

Go-for-Gold Gymnasts: Balancing Act by Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson

Noelle Onesti is incredible on the balance beam. She has the opportunity to be one of the best Junior Elite gymnasts in the country. She's already qualified for the national championships, but it's going to cost a lot of money for her to make the trip from Texas to Philadelphia. Money is something her family doesn't have a lot of, and Noelle is worried that her gymnastics expenses are already putting a strain on her family. She doesn't want to disappoint her coaches or her parents, but she can't face the truth, either. Will she ever get her chance to show the country what she can do?

By this point in the series it's pretty clear that each of the girls in the Texas Twisters has their own issues/storylines: Britt is the new girl who struggles to fit in, Jessie is dealing with an eating disorder and taking a look at her commitment to gymnastics, Christina has an over-involved mom who's likely trying to live through her daughter. Noelle has buckets of talent, a competitive drive, attention to detail...and a sensitive nature that means she worries about everything. She worries about her parents' business, she worries about the financial toll of gymnastics, she worries about the way her older brother is acting out (and in turn worrying her parents, giving Noelle one more thing to worry about). The best part about this book is that it flushes out the personalities of all of the girls on the squad; we're no longer seeing them through Britt's eyes (and get to see Britt through someone else's eyes). This four-book series is just what to give young readers who have been entranced by Gabby Douglas and the other gymnasts at the London Olympic Games. It doesn't gloss over the hardships that the gymnasts face but still packs in a lot of drama, action, and heart.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Go for the Gold by Elizabeth Levy
Off Balance: A Memoir by Dominique Moceanu
The Go-for-Gold Gymnasts: Winning Team by Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson
The Go-for-Gold Gymnasts: Reaching High by Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson

The Grunt and the Grouch: Big Splash! by Tracey Corderoy

 The Grunt and the Grouch are roommates and best friends. They both love all kinds of gross stuff, which makes sense, because they're trolls. In Big Splash! they have three adventures. In one, they decide to get some exercise by going to the local pool. In another, they babysit a couple of wild little trolls. And in the last one, they go camping...but not in the way they thought they would. With short chapters, large print, and lots of illustrations, this is a trollrific series aimed at young readers.

The cover of the book cautions "This book contains slime, snot, mud, and other trollrific treats." Readers would be wise to heed this caution, because it's a great indicator of who this book is for. If the idea of snot, slime, and more turns your stomach, you're not the intended audience. If, on the other hand, it only makes you want to read the book more, you're in for a treat. This book (and, I imagine, the rest of The Grunt and the Grouch books) practically screams "great for reluctant readers." If you know a newly independent reader who is frequently complaining about the lack of gross stuff in their books, keep this title in mind.

See more about Tracey Corderoy at her website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Capstone.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Shrek! by William Steig
The Grunt and the Grouch by Tracey Corderoy
The Grunt and the Grouch: Beastly Fangs! by Tracey Corderoy
Treasure in the Graveyard by Roberto Pavanello

Dirty Bertie: Fangs! by David Roberts written by Alan MacDonald

Bertie dives headfirst into life...and gets a little dirt on himself in the process. He doesn't intend to get in trouble, but trouble always seems to find him. Join Bertie in three new stories as he attempts to reveal that the custodian at his school is a vampire, discovers what it's like to be an in-demand model, and tries to avoid getting a terrible new haircut.

Each of the three stories are divided into short chapters. The print is large and the pictures will help young readers keep the story in their heads as they read. There are lots of things that will appeal to young readers: an energetic male character, a little big of gross-out stuff (but nothing that's too gross), and high-action situations that spiral out of control but (spoiler alert?) always seem to come out okay. There are a few things that seem to mark it as an import from the UK, but nothing that would get in the way of a North American reader from identifying with Bertie or the book. This is a book series to consider for classroom, school, and public libraries.

Check out David Roberts's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Capstone Young Readers.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Dirty Bertie: Germs! by David Roberts and Alan MacDonald
The Grunt and the Grouch: Big Splash! by Tracey Corderoy
Treasure in the Graveyard by Roberto Pavanello

The Mount Rushmore Face that Couldn't See by Steve Brezenoff

Cat and her friends Egg, Gum, and Sam are on a field trip to see Mount Rushmore. It was a long, hot trip to get there, but once they see the presidential faces carved into the side of the mountain, it makes the journey all worthwhile. But then things start going wrong. Their tour guide is tied up - literally tied up - in his cabin, people start shouting about a ghost, and spooky stuff starts happening at night. Cat might only be in the sixth grade, but it's up to her to solve this mystery...before things get even worse!

This book, part of the Field Trip Mysteries series, combines a gentle mystery with lots of facts about Mount Rushmore. When I first saw a thumbnail of the cover, there was something about the girl's clothing (her longer skirt and hairstyle) as well as the lack of cars, buildings, or anything around that made me think that this book took place in a long ago time. It doesn't, though; it's firmly set in the modern day. The book includes a bit of very balanced information about why there might be controversy over Mount Rushmore; all of the information is at a very appropriate age level for the target audience. Cat and her friends are intrepid sleuths in the way that fictional children sometimes are (see everyone from Encyclopedia Brown to Theodore Boone to the Babysitters Club) and they don't really do anything that's too outlandish. Some parts of the mystery reminded me of elements of Murder, She Wrote episodes, but being the major MSW fan that I am, I mean that in the best way possible. A solid pick for school classrooms, school libraries, and public libraries to consider for their collections.

See more information about Steve Brezenoff at his website. 

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Capstone.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
The Ghost Who Haunted the Capitol by Steve Brezenoff
The Crook Who Crossed the Golden Gate Bridge by Steve Brezenoff
On the Bus, On the Case by Steve Brezenoff

Treasure in the Graveyard by Roberto Pavanello illustrated by Blasco Pisapia

Echo, a mystery-writing bat, likes living in a cemetery because of all of the peace and quiet. Then one night he hears something suspicious... and before he knows it he's flying for his life! That's how he meets his three best friends: Becca, Michael, and Tyler. These three siblings each have special talents and abilities that will help Echo figure out what is going on in the cemetery...and how to stop whoever is behind it.

A graveyard is a great setting for a story. It has a certain creepiness while still being a believable place for kids to be able to visit. The chapters are a good length - not too long so as to scare readers off, but not too short that getting through the chapters isn't an accomplishment. The full-colour illustrations, many of them full-pages, also provide the book with a cartoon-like energy. This looks like it will be a good series for young readers who like mysteries in the Scooby Doo vein; look for these meddling kids to thwart one mystery after another (with the help of their new bat friend).

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Capstone Young Readers.


See more of Roberto Pavanello's work at his (Italian) website.


Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Katie Woo Rules the School by Fran Manushkin
Fangs! by Alan MacDonald
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Midnight Witches by Robert Pavanello

Rightfully Ours: How Women Won the Vote by Kerrie Logan Hollihan

There are many things today that women and girls take for granted: wearing pants, speaking in public, going to school, keeping their own last name when they get married. One of the biggest rights, though, has been the right to vote in elections. In the 1800s and early 1900s, women were viewed as belonging to their fathers or husbands; they were expected to dedicate their lives to their families. Many women, though, wanted more. They believed that they best way to achieve this was to push for social change - increased rights for women and ultimately the right to vote. These women included Lucy Stone, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Alice Paul, and many others. In Rightfully Ours: How Women Won the Vote, this history is presented so that the boys and girls of today can learn about the barriers that the women of the past overcame.

When I was younger I had very little exposure to books about women's history or feminist figures, so I'm always happy to see books about suffrage and women's rights aimed at a young age group. This book weaves together a narrative about the troubles and setbacks that these women faced and the accomplishments that they achieved alongside biographical sketches of the prominent figures and activities related to the text for kids to do on their own. The book illustrates how intertwined many different issues were and are; it's nearly impossible to discuss the rights of women without looking at American history in general but also the temperance movement, slavery, the Civil War, and religion. It's packed with information but also lots of great images and first-person accounts.   It was neat to discover the ties that things like The Wizard of Oz or "Mary Had a Little Lamb" had to the suffrage movement. The activities spread out throughout the book provide an interactive approach to understanding the life and times of the women depicted. It's hard to know how popular or practical these activities will be - some involve a stove or oven while others require a lot of materials that one might not have just laying around the house - but with the range of activities presented (twenty-one in total) there will likely be something that catches a reader's eye. I can also see teachers being interested in this for use in the classroom. It's a great title to have on the shelf for a school, classroom, or public library.

Check out Kerrie Logan Hollihan's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Chicago Review Press.

Find it at Indiebound.

Read it with:
Elizabeth I: The People's Queen by Kerrie Logan Hollihan
Wheels of Change by Sue Macy
You Wouldn't Want to Be a Suffragist! by Fiona Macdonald

Katie Woo Rules the School by Fran Manushkin illustrated by Tammie Lyon

Katie Woo Rules the School combines four Katie Woo stories into one stylish package. In Katie and the Class Pet, Katie gets the thrill of taking care of the class guinea pig...and the scare of figuring out what to do once she loses him! No More Teasing has Katie trying to figure out how to deal with an annoying classmate, while The Big Lie shows Katie struggling to do what's right when it's not what she wants to do. In The Star of the Show, Katie deals with not getting the part in the school play that she wanted while still being supportive of her friend. No matter what's going on, Katie knows how important it is to be herself!


This was my first time reading a Katie Woo book, and I quite enjoyed it. Both she and the books have a Ramona Quimby vibe to them; Katie isn't perfect but she tries to do what's right, and the books look at tough issues (and real issues that kids face) without losing heart and warmth. The illustrations are gentle and colourful and it's great to see classes with children from so many different backgrounds. This looks like a great series for young readers and if, like me, you're new to the series, this collection of stories is a great way to get yourself introduced to Katie Woo's world.

Check out Fran Manushkin's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Capstone Kids.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Katie Woo and Friends by Fran Manushkin
Junie B. Jones, First Grader (at last!) by Barbara Park
Katie Woo: A Happy Day by Fran Manushkin
Kylie Jean, Blueberry Queen by Marci Peschke

The Go-For-Gold Gymnasts: Winning Team by Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson

Britt loves gymnastics. She's already at the Junior Elite level, and her family has just moved to Houston and she has the chance to train at a big gym with a professional coach. She's nervous about training at a new place where she doesn't know anyone, and when the other girls are less than welcoming, she starts worrying about how she's going to fit in. It's going to take more than an amazing beam routine in order for Britt to feel like she's part of a winning team!

(Some very mild spoilers below)

I found this series after I re-read Go for the Gold by Elizabeth Levy. I was really excited by it; I can remember when Dominique Moceanu was part of the Magnificent 7 team at the 1996 Summer Olympics. While I'm no expert on elementary school-geared sports series, I can definitely see this appealing to young girls. Britt is a likeable character. She's young but not childish; her perspective is limited because her life experience is limited. She has to deal with things like problems with her parents and trying to make friends with people who are jealous of her. It does feel a bit cliched to have a story about gymnasts that includes a storyline about a girl with an eating disorder, but it did take an interesting turn (Britt does the right thing and people lash out at her). You don't need to have extensive gymnastics knowledge in order to read the book. There were a few terms that were lost on me, but there is a glossary at the back of the book to fill in some blanks. It looks like the other books in the series will have different points of view, with each girl taking a turn. If the Olympics gets you interested in American gymnastics, consider picking up this series.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Go for the Gold by Elizabeth Levy
Off Balance: A Memoir by Dominique Moceanu
The Go-For-Gold Gymnasts: Balancing Act by Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson

Baxter the Tweeting Dog by Doreen Marts

Baxter is a very friendly dog who lives in the town of Wackaloon. He spends lots of time on Twoofer - it's a secret communication technology that only dogs know about. When his friend Lucy is missing, he's really worried about her. At first Baxter isn't sure what to do, but then he remembers about Twoofer! Before long dogs from all over town are looking for Lucy and sending updates on where she's been seen. Will Baxter be able to find her?

Books about technology - particularly books for kids - can be kind of hit or miss. It's tough to aim it for the right audience while still accurately using the technology; including technology also runs the risk of giving the book a short shelf life and making it seem dated in the near future. In this case, I don't think that the audience (young readers who are either reading on their own or about to start reading on their own) necessarily needs to have used Twitter in order to get the jokes. The "Twoofs" are really just a way to get Baxter running all over town. Animal lovers (and dog lovers in particular) will find lots of cute, cuddly canines in these pages (many of them looked like they'd stepped out of a TV cartoon about tech-savy dogs in a city). I also liked the endpapers of the book, featuring the different dogs along with their Twoofer handles. Will this be a book that stands the test of time? I can't say, but it definitely is a book that taps into the moment.

Check out Doreen Marts' website.

I received a review copy from Edelweiss courtesy of Blue Apple Books.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
A Day in the Office of Doctor Bugspit by Elise Gravel
Prickles vs. the Dust Bunny by Daniel Cleary
Doggie Dreams by Mike Herrod
It's a Book by Lane Smith

Go for the Gold by Elizabeth Levy

Heidi Ferguson was America's rising gymnast star...until anorexia sidelined her career and left many wondering if she'd ever compete again. Recovery was difficult but Heidi is finally back competing, and she's stronger than ever. She's America's best hope at an Olympic medal in gymnastics and a star at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. She knows what it will take to win and is ready to go for the gold, but injuries, pressure, and biased judges threaten to get in the way. Heidi is going to give it her all, but will it be enough?

A lot of my childhood books were random ones that, if I had to guess, were picked up from yard sales, book sales, etc, at least before I started defining my own reading preferences. This was a book that I know I had (and still have), but I didn't own or read the rest of The Gymnasts series (with the bizarre exception of Tumbling Ghosts - again, it had to have been a yard sale pick). I loved Go for the Gold as a girl an even had many of the most dramatic lines memorized (I can't tell you which ones, it would give away the plot). It has stood up surprisingly well. It's set during the 1992 Barcelona Summer Games, and even though that's now 20 years ago, not much stands out too much as being dated. Yes, technology has changed, but that's about it. There are things in there that make sense for a reader today: the realities of anorexia in sports like gymnastics, parental pressure, being friendly with competitors while still trying to beat them, carrying the weight of a nation's hopes, dealing with paparazzi and journalists and agents. Set before the Magnificent 7-era of the 1996 Olympics, it makes sense that an American winning the All-Around Gold in 1992 would have been a big deal. Heidi is a likeable character: a determined athlete struggling to balance the expectations and fears of her parents, coach, and friends with her own expectations and fears. This book is long out of print, but if you can find it (maybe at a yardsale? or in a library or a used book store) it would be a great read during the 2012 Olympics.

(Also, is it just me, or does the cover picture look a little bit like teenage Robin on How I Met Your Mother?)

Check out more information on Elizabeth Levy at her website.

Find out more information at Amazon.

Read it with:
The Gymnasts: The Beginners by Elizabeth Levy
Gold Medal Dreams: Chance of a Lifetime by Melissa Lowell
Off Balance by Dominique Moceanu
Winning Balance by Shawn Johnson

A Dictionary of Dance by Liz Murphy

An arabesque is a ballet position where you stand on one straight leg and extend a leg backwards. Break dancing is really fast dancing that involved using your hands, head, and body on the floor. A choreographer creates the steps that other people dance. These are the ABCs of dance...and it doesn't stop there! A Dictionary of Dance celebrates dance and movement from A to Z!

Some alphabet books really are meant for children who are first learning their letters. A Dictionary of Dance, on the other hand, works best for children who are already familiar with the alphabet; letters can be learned from it, of course, but first and foremost it is a celebration of dance. From "arabesque" to "zones," these words and terms will educate and inspire young dancers. The format of bringing together different styles of dance emphasizes the similarities between different cultures. The artwork is soft and colourful and mimics fluid motion.This is a lovely book that could easily encourage the imaginations of children who dream about dancing - or spark an interest in those who have never thought about it. It would make a great gift for a dancer or a good title for a public library.

I received a review copy from Edelweiss courtesy of Blue Apple Books.

Read it with:
Broadway Barks by Bernadette Peters
Learn to Speak Dance by Ann-Marie Williams
Beautiful Ballerina by Marilyn Nelson